What does gaffa means anyway?

[uli@zoodle.robin.de (Ulrich Grepel)]

Alan sent me the following and said I should forward it to the list and so
I did. I can't comment further on this thread since I only combined what
I've read here before.

Bye,
----------8<-----------
Uli,

>> Can a kind soul explain to a non-native english speaker what does "gaffa" 

>> actually means? My Harraps french/english dictionnary doesn't help
>> me to solve the enigma.
>
>"gaffa" (Suspended in Gaffa) means "gaffer's tape". Gaffers are those people
>that tape the cables to the floor etc. when a movie is made. This tape might
>also be used to hold people off from going somewhere ('police lines'?)

Yes, but not quite all. Many of Kate Bush's songs, particularly the earlier
ones, are very full of imagery and references and discuss ideas, that 

several friends of mine who are strongly influenced by Sufi teachings focus
on.

As far as I can see, Sufism is a mental discipline intended to develop
the potential of its practitioners in all aspects of life. It is not a
religion but historically has been associated with Islam.

Examples of such songs include "Fullhouse", "Them Heavy People", 

"Sat In Your Lap", "Get Out Of My House" and "Suspended In Gaffa", which 

is about one of a group of people off on a retreat, who only starts to 

see the real world around her when she decides that "That girl in the 

mirror isn't going anywhere", stops "trying", and so simply experiences 

the world as it is. This stronger awareness of the world rather than our 

shadow images of it is the goal sought. Much of the song is about the 

difficulty of trying to stop trying (compare Zen paradoxes), and what it 

feels like when you first start thinking about (thinking about (thinking 

about (...))) the world. (See comp.ai.philosopy :-) )

Sufis use a lot of Arabic words, but use them in specialised ways. 

Conjecturing that this was what she was doing with Gaffa, I asked an Arabic 

speaking friend what "Gaffa" means. "Quaffa", he told me (pronouncing it 

slightly differently) "means unbelief, an ungodly state". 


The references to Gurdjieff and Itchesu in "Them Heavy People", and the house 

image (which she often uses), as well as the donkey and meditational
drums at the end of "Get Out Of My House" are similar specific references
to Sufi culture.

Gaffer is indeed a terribly sticky tape used by electricians in the 

entertainment industry. I think it is the same as what Americans call
duct tape. It is very easy to get tangled up in it. Kate has made a pun :-)

Apologies if I have misrepresented any Sufi ideas, my understanding is 

limited to what comes of social conversation.

Unfortunately I find I cannot post to rec.music.gaffa from my own site.
Perhaps you could forward this to the newsgroup to stimulate discussion?

   Thanks, Alan

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